ExternE: Externalities of Energy Vol 10 National Implementation

Abstract

The first comprehensive EU-wide set of data on the environmental and social costs of energy production has been obtained by a project involving over 40 institutes from 9 countries. It has been collected using the "EcoSense" model, with an "impact pathway" approach, ensuring consistency of information across the countries. Each country has researched its own most significant power-generating methods. The project has measured the effects of energy production ignored in calculations of the cost of energy use. These include the impacts of building construction, waste disposal, atmospheric emissions and accidents, at every stage in the fuel cycle. The damages and benefits to health, monuments, crops, scenery and the global environment, along with their range and duration, have been quantitatively assessed.

The data provides information for policy-makers to use in decisions about actions affecting energy production, and also allows comparison between countries. Ultimately it may be used to make the price of energy use reflect exactly the total cost of all aspects of its production. The reliability of the conclusions is likely to improve in future years as the effects of various emissions and products are better understood. .